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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. fine — all right
  5. present — there
  6. drill — army training
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fine — high quality
  13. drill — the tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tube — the underground
  16. drill — a practice
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. tube — a container
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. deal — to handle
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. tube — in a tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com